Ink-well.



No; 690,643. r Patented Ian.v 7,- |902. L.. M. DYER & A. B. CULHUN."

(Application led Mar. 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES .PATENT OEEICE. l

`LOUISE M. DYER ANDADA BYRON COLI-IOUN, OF YAZOO CITY, MISSISSIPPI.

I-NK-WELL.

tEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,643, dated January '7, 1902.

Application led March 23, 1901. Serial No. 5 2,652. (No model.) Y

T @ZZ whom t may concern;

Be it known that We, LOUISE M. vDYER and ADA BYRON CoLHoUN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Yazoo City, in the county of Yazoo and State of Mississippkhave in-v vented certain new and useful Improvements in Ink-Wells, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to ink-wells;4 and it has for its object to provide an improved ink- Well which is particularly adapted for use in schools and is formed to iitwithinl `the customary ink-well chamber vor opening in the desk-top and to project but slightly above the same, and thus present butslight obstruction to books and other objects which lare placed upon the desk.

The invention further aims to provide an ink-Well which may be readily zfilled without overflowing and which shall be generally superior in point of simplicity of construction, convenience in use, and general efficiency.'

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a'school-desk provided with our improved ink-well. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the improved ink-well, the cover being shown in full lines in closed position and in dotted lines in open position to permit filling of the ink-well. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan'view of the improvedink-well with the cover in open position to permit filling of the ink-well.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

'Referring to the drawings, 1 designates our improved ink-well, which embodies the usual body portion or ink-reservoir 2 and is provided with a pivoted cover or closure 3. The cover 3 is provided centrally 'with a dipping-opening 4, and the dipping-opening 4 is normally closed by a pivoted supplemental cover 5.

, 6 designates suitable means for locking the cover 3 in closed position. Within the body portion 2 and at the top of the same is arranged a concave or dished guard 7, which extends continuously around the inner walls of the said body portion and is provided with a central opening 8 in registration with the dipping-opening 4 in the cover 3.

In the preferred form of construction the body portion 2 is annular in form and is provided at its top edge portion withvan annular outwardlyprojecting fiange 9, upon which lthe cover 3 rests when in closed position. The

outer edge portion of the cover exactly fits the outer edge contour of the flange 9 to eectually maintain the body portion 2 in closed The cover 3 is preferably hinged condition. y to the top edge of the body portion, as atilO, and the flange 9 and the cover 3 preferably taper in Width, as shown in Fig. 3, to the point of hinge connection 10. When the ink-well is consist of a member 13, carried by the coverl 3 and arranged to coengage with a member 14,- secured to the flange 9. The member 13 may consist of a spring-tongue 15, and the member 14 may consist of an eye 16, which is formed to receive the same. The locking meansy 6 are preferably arranged at a point diametrically opposite the hinge 10.

i (The supplemental cover consists of a flat plate 17, which is pivoted at one edge to the cover 3, as at 18, and may be readily swung laterally to open or close the dipping-opening 4. The main cover 3 also consists of a fiat plate 19, andv the combined main cover 3 and supplemental cover 5 project but slightly above the plane of the supporting-HangeQ, whereby the ink-we1l presentsbut slight obstruction above the desk 12.v

Theconcave or dished guard 7 consists of a downwardly-projecting continuous fiange 20, which forms the central opening 8, and the fiange'20 is corrugated in its upper surface portion, as at 21, radially of the ink-well, forming centrally-tapering grooves, through which the ink may readily flow to and through the opening 8 and into the body portion 2.

The operation and advantages of our improved ink-well will be readily understood. In lling the same the main cover 3 is thrown backwardly upon its hinge and the ink is poured into the body portion through the central opening 8 in the guard '7. When the ink has risen in the body portion to a level coincident with the plane of the opening 8, the ink rises through said opening onto the guard 20. This rising of the ink onto the guard may be noted by the person filling ICO the ink-well, and the illing operation may be checked before the ink has overilowed onto the desk or elsewhere. This feature of our improved ink-well is of great advantage, as it is extremely difficult with ink-wells of common construction to determine the exact moment in the lling operation at which the ink rises to the required level. The guard 7 permits the ink to rise to a level considerably above the plane of the opening 8 without overflowing, and the possibility of the ink thus rising to a safe level is enhanced by the dished or concave formation of the.guard. The corrugations 2l of the flange 2O facilitate the ilow of the ink downwardly through the opening S. The iiat formation of the liange 9, main cover 3, and supplemental cover 5 presents a minimum obstruction of the inkwell above the supportingdesk, and this feature is of manifest advantage, as the ordinary ink-well is constantly in the way in the use ofA books and other articles which are frequently shifted about on school-desks or other desks. When the ink-well has been filled, the main cover 3 is secured in closed position by the locking means 6, andin school use the locking means may be closed by the teacher orattendant and maintained closed until further filling of the ink-well becomes necessary. The only access to the ink-well obtainable is through the dipping-opening Il, which is ordinarily only of sufficient size to permit the introduction of a pen. This arrangement and provision of parts precludes to a great extent, and especially in schools, the tampering of the scholars with the ink- Well and the ink contained therein, as well as the contamination of the ink or soiling of articles by dipping the same in the ink-well.

'llhe entire device because of the improved formation and assemblage of parts is of increased utility and advantages in a wide range of usage and is also simple in construction and inexpensive in manufacture.

We do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention and improvements.

We therefore reserve the right to all such variation and modification as properly falls within'the scope of our invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Animprovedink-Well,comprisingabody portion or ink-reservoir provided with a pivoted main cover adapted in form to close the orifice of the ink-reservoirand provided with a central dipping opening and a supplemental pivoted cover for the same, and a dished or concave guard arranged within the body portion at the top of the same and provided with an opening in registration with the dipping-opening in the main cover.

2. Animprovedink-well,comprisingabody portion or ink-reservoir provided with a pivoted main cover adapted in form to close the orifice of the ink-reservoir and provided With a central dipping-opening and with a supplemental pivoted cover for the same, and a dished or concave guard arranged within and at the top of the body portion and provided with an opening in registration with the dip ping-opening in the main cover, said guard consisting of a continuous downwardly-slantin g flange provided with radially-arran ged corrugations forming centrally-tapering grooves whereby the ink is directed to and through the opening in said guard.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names in the presence of the subscribing Wil.- nesses.

LOUISE M. DYER. ADA BYRON COLHOUN.

Witnesses:

J. A. CLARK, JOHN C. HENDERSON. 

